Merry Christmas
by Buffalo
Summary: Just a fluffy holiday piece to get me back into writing! I hope you enjoy!


Kate pushed herself onto her knees, completely dazzled by the Castle Christmas Tree. She wasn't sure when or how she'd fallen asleep; but here she was waking up to the most stunning Christmas Tree she'd seen since she was a little girl, staring up at the tree in her own parents living room.

"Decided not to sleep the day away detective?" Alexis winked at Kate as she fastened another ornament to the tree. She'd been spending an increasing amount of time at the Castle Loft since she'd made that decision to 'be ready'. When he'd asked her to come over and help them decorate on her first Saturday off in months it had been a no brainer. Though she would have enjoyed sinking into a hot bath, these days, just being around Rick had exactly the same calming effect on her and if she got home early enough maybe she could have both.

"Sorry," Kate heard the sheepishness in her voice and felt the slight blush taint her cheeks at the smile Castle was fixing her. Now she remembered, they'd handed her a peppermint mocha coffee the moment she'd walked in, she'd settled into the sofa and instantly fallen asleep. There mustn't have been much actual coffee in her drink.

Instead of pushing off the blanket they'd covered her with and standing to help, she snuggled a little deeper into the cushions and rested her head on the couch to watch the Castle's finish their tree. She idly wondered if one day she would think of it as her tree too.

"What time is it?" she asked quietly and once again caught Rick's cheeks pulling up into a grin. "Only 1, you haven't wasted the entire day yet," he smirked

"I warned you I was beat," she responded not nearly as defensively as she'd intended.

"Let her be dad, if she wants to sleep its fine by me. More peppermint chocolates for the living," Alexis winked at Kate popping a peppermint Hershey Kiss into her mouth and causing a chain reaction of smiles from Kate and then Rick.

Just when Kate was determining the amount of effort it would require to pull herself from the couch Rick's stomach growled loudly and they all laughed.

"We were waiting for you to wake up for lunch, as much as I have tried I simply can't fill up on candies." Castle explained and they laughed again.

"I'll make lunch," Kate offered, finally finding enough motivation to get herself off the couch. "What would you two like?" She asked.

"There's leftover turkey and stuffing in the fridge, will you make me a sandwich," Castle fixed her with a set of puppy dog eyes that characteristically she would have scoffed at, but she was in such a state of happy relaxation that instead she fixed him with a brilliant smiled and as she passed she brushed her hand down his arm and gently squeezed his wrist. God she loved that man. The feeling went through her so effortlessly that she paused at the edge of the kitchen.

She was fully aware of how much he meant to her, of the devastation she'd feel if anything happened to him, the bank had proved that. She was working hard on being ready for him but not to her shrink and not even of the darkest corners of her mind had she admitted to herself that she loved him. Not until that very moment.

It wasn't shock that she loved him that had halted her every breath, it was the complete lack of fear that that knowledge had left. She loved him and it didn't scare her. Was this was being ready felt like? Was she ready, after so little time? Saying you wanted to be ready, and being ready were such different things. How was she supposed to know when she was ready?

His heavy warm hand found its place at the small of her back and her body remembered the way he'd caressed her when they'd been cuffed. Instinctively she leaned into him. "You alright," He asked his voice too low, too intimate and far too close to be entirely appropriate and definitely too distracting for her to actual make out the words he'd spoken. She nodded a yes, knowing it must have been a question by the questioning look in his eyes, and she pushed herself forward.

He followed her into the kitchen, and filled three glasses of eggnog, lightly sprinkling a mixture of nutmeg and cinnamon on the top. She was still in a bit of a daze, but she'd managed to take out three plates and the ingredients for the sandwiches when he stepped up behind her and lingered a moment as he dropped her drink beside her work station.

Could he tell what she was thinking, did he know that what felt like so incredibly suddenly she had come to the conclusion she was in love with him. She felt like he knew, or he wouldn't be lingering, would he? This was Castle of course he would still be lingering.

Almost as suddenly as the love realization had occurred, the need for him to know it flourished inside of her. She looked up at him and caught his brilliant smile, and the words just wouldn't come out. He was about to walk away when she grabbed hold of his wrist. He turned back to her a look of pleasant confusion on his face and the urge to kiss him was overwhelming.

So she did.

For the first time since they had met, she didn't fight the need to kiss him. His lips were soft under hers, welcoming, warm. There was no intense flame that encompassed them into a fit of passion. The kiss was soft and calm but she held herself to him, longer than she should have, desperately trying to transfer as much of the devotion she felt, towards him. When she pulled back his eyes were still closed, like he didn't want to open them and realize it hadn't really happened. She didn't bother suppressing the smile that lit her face. Lord she loved that man. Finally he succumbed to the inevitability of opening his eyes and when he saw the smile on her face a smile of equal fervor lit his.

"Alright what did I walk in on?" Alexis took in the grinning adults as she stole a piece of turkey from the Tupperware in front of Kate. "Were you two finally making out in the kitchen?" the teen withheld the smile that was inching its way onto her own lips.

"Yes," Kate responded

"Absolutely not," Rick answered indignantly.

Kate ignored Rick's answer and went back to making the sandwiches. "Alexis, I'm crazy about your dad and I plan on kissing him as often as possible. I hope that's alright with you," the words were flying out of her mouth with such careless ease that both Castle's froze in awe. Who was this person that had woken up on their couch because she wasn't the same person that had fallen asleep there.

"I'm alright with that," Rick's hand flew into the air to be sure he had their attention. Kate laughed and then placed a second kiss on his cheek as if she couldn't contain it. Shocking both Castle's for a third time.

"Just so long as I don't accidentally walk in on something, I shouldn't be seeing." Alexis fixed them with her 'you had better behave eye' and 'eye' Rick had still not mastered. Then she skipped out of the kitchen and back into the living room, plopping back onto the couch. Alexis flipped through the channels until she landed on something Christmassy and then turned up the volume, consciously giving Rick and Kate some privacy.

Rick's mind was buzzing, what had happened, what was happening? If she could kiss him whenever she wanted; could he kiss her whenever he wanted? He watched her work a little longer and then he couldn't help himself. "Kate," his voice was tentative but the finger that grabbed hold of her belt loop and turned her towards him was anything but.

"Kate?" He asked again, his voice gaining strength. Finally she looked up into his eyes and she said the words he had already heard a thousand times in his dreams. "I love you, too." She licked the drop of gravy off her thumb and then brought it up to caress his bottom lip. "I love you too." She repeated, it was like once she'd said the words she couldn't say them enough. "I love you too," a third time and this time he laughed, he laughed with his entire body, happiness radiating from him. Then he pulled her into his arms and hugged her as tightly as he could. His lips and nose found the curve of her neck and he inhaled her scent. God he loved her.

"So you did hear me that day," he couldn't even be mad at her. She'd lied yes, but she'd found her way to him; even if it had taken longer than expected. His lips found hers and this time the kiss wasn't calm, it wasn't sweet or soft either. This time it was full. Full of everything they had been holding onto for so long, full of passion, and anger and love.

His lips left hers and he kissed her temples and her cheeks, the tip of her nose below her ear, along her jaw. He feathered kisses wherever she would let him, until she was laughing uncontrollably.

"I bet I can kiss you more than you can kiss me," Rick's face radiated happiness.

"Oh really," Kate's voice was teasing, of course he'd find some childish way to compete with her mere moments after she'd told him she loved him.

"Are you too nearly done in there, we have a tree to finish and the entire rest of the loft to decorate?" Alexis hollered from the couch.

"No," Rick called back

"Yes," Kate laughed, "Come and eat Alexis and then we'll get this all done."

"I don't want a sandwich anymore," Rick whined. Slipping behind her and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, squeezing until she croaked and rolled her eyes at him." Sorry got carried away," he whispered.

"What do you want then Rick?"

A devilish smile filled his face, "You," he nipped at her neck, causing all three of them to laugh.

Lord, she loved that man.

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AN/ So I have been extremely busy lately, what with the holidays and everything. And I just really haven't felt very motivated to do any writing. I started this fic as something completely different and this is what came out. It was actually going to be raunchy, oh well. Maybe I'll do a follow up of that night together.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Merry Christmas everyone.


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